Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad

Ingredients

6 oz penne pasta
2 cups cooked, chopped chicken
4 cups Romaine lettuce, chopped
1/2 (medium size) cucumber, chopped
1 carrot, shredded
1/4 cup green onions, thinly sliced
2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
1/3 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup croutons (optional)
Caesar salad dressing, to taste

Instructions

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain water and set aside to cool.

Chop the grilled chicken breasts into small chunks. In a large bowl toss together chicken, cooked penne pasta, lettuce, cucumber, carrot, green onion, cherry tomatoes, Parmesan cheese and croutons.

Drizzle with desired amount of Caesar salad dressing and toss to coat.

Marinated Creamed Cucumber & Onion Salad

Ingredients:

2 lg. cucumbers

1 lg. white onion

1/4 c. white vinegar

2 tbsp. sugar

1/2 c. vegetable oil

1 1/2 c. sour cream

1 tsp. chopped fresh dill

2 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

Salt & fresh ground pepper

1/2 c. water

Directions:

Thin slice scored cucumber and onion. Place in bowl and pour in vinegar, oil & water. Add sugar, salt, pepper, dill & parsley. Mix well. Let cool for 1/2 hour then drain off all liquid. Add sour cream. Mix well & refrigerate 1 hour.

Vegan Tomato Salad with Cucumber, Avocado, Cilantro and Lime

(Makes 2 servings)

6 medium tomatoes, diced into bite-sized pieces (about 2 cups diced tomatoes)

2 medium cucumbers, diced into bite-sized pieces (about 1 cup diced cucumber)

1 avocado, diced into bite-sized pieces

1 cup chopped cilantro (use more or less to taste)

1 T + 2 T fresh squeezed lime juice

1 T best quality extra virgin olive oil

1/4 tsp. Spike seasoning (optional, but good)

salt to taste (I used Vege-Sal, but sea salt would be great here)

Peel avocado and cut into 1/2 inch pieces (I use this method for peeling and cutting an avocado.) Put avocado pieces into plastic or glass bowl and toss with 1 T lime juice. Season generously with salt.

Chop tomatoes, cucumbers, and cilantro and add to avocado in bowl. Whisk together 2 T lime juice and 1 T olive oil (with Spike seasoning if using) then stir gently into salad. Serve immediately. This doesn't keep well, so only make as much as will be eaten right away.

Fresh Cucumber Salad

7 cups unpeeled cucumbers - sliced thin (I peeled mine)

1 cup sliced onions

1 cup sliced green peppers

1 tbsp salt

1 cup white vinegar

2 cups sugar

1 tsp celery seed

1 tsp mustard seed

Mix cucumbers, onions, peppers and salt; set aside.

Put vinegar, sugar, celery seed and mustard seed in a pot and bring to a boil.

Remove from heat and let cool for one hour.

Pour mixture over cucumbers.

Put in jars and store in refrigerator.

Will keep up to 2 months.

Makes 2 quart jars.